PARTIAL KNIT TECHNIQUE

My skills on the domestic machine have progressed and my experimentation has more purpose and understanding of technique and use of materials. I have enjoyed using a variety of different yarns and spent time understanding what works with what technique and why. I would like to take forward several successful techniques including partial knitting, lifting stitches, ribbing, making holes, punchcard patterns, using tuck stitches and using stripes. All these techniques create surface texture, some more 3D than others but when using a variety of textured yarns a multi sensory surface is developed either way.

Initially I wanted to use very different techniques on the domestic machine for each part of the story, however after developing and experimenting with making 'mountains' through partial knitting I realised how much could be achieved through one technique.

Partial knitting allows for very free designing in a sculptural form which is a huge focus within my project. Through very free experimentation, and some accidental discoveries, I have realised just how many different sculptural shapes can be achieved. Not only making pointed triangles, but also more rounded shapes, mountains on top of mountains, mountains within mountains, and more complex shaping including hexagons and octagons. I also like the small detailing that can be achieved, making small holes around the mountain adds a more decorative feel to the samples and can be a way of showing the stuffing and using that as a feature in itself.

Instead of focusing on mastering several different techniques, I have decided to have a focus on developing partial knitting and the shapes created within that, taking this forward by developing a 3D, sculptural shape for each part of the story.

I will continue to develop the other more sculptural techniques listed at the beginning of this post, but I will have the freedom to add those techniques in throughout the collection rather than focusing them to one particular part. The big difference between the parts of the story going forward will be defined by the mountain shapes...

The images above demonstrate the shapes I am aiming to create:

Part 1, The Cacti Forest : Triangles of different sizes (to represent pointed/prickly cacti)

Part 2, From Dark to Light: Hexagons and Octagons (look a little claw like, as if the ghosts are climbing out of the forest)

Part 3, The Carnival: Semicircles and a mix of all the shapes (the carnival is where every element comes together to celebrate as one

Part 4, The Return to the Netherworld: Diamond (to represent the shape of a lotus flower leaf; which are made from paper and lit as a way to return the ghosts to the Netherworld)